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Coll 30/123 'Bahrain (Unallotted Zone) Oil Concession: Negotiations with Petroleum Concessions Ltd.' [‎243r] (485/801)

The record is made up of 1 file (398 folios). It was created in 24 Oct 1935-18 May 1938. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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5
(2U
P.Z. 4582/36.
140
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Tu
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There are two points for decision at the moment on
this file.
X. 1 The question of the ownership of the Islandsof
Hawar. Please see the Resident’s letter of the 25th May,
P.Z. 4362 / 36 , the Political Agent’s letter^ of the 6th / May # i/-
P.Z. 3969/36 and the Government of India’s telegram of the
1st July, P.Z.4670/36.
It will he seen that in 1919 certain claims were put
forward hy the Sheikh of Bahrein to an area called Zuhara
on the mainland of Qatar. It was then decided that the
Bahrein claim to this area could not he sustained and that it
belonged to the Sheikh of Qatar. No mention was then made
of the Hawar Group of Islands and although, as Colonel
Powle points out, the group is in comparatively close
proximity to Zuhara the fact that there was no mention of
Hawar at that time seems to make it unnecessary to regard
the 1920 decision as affecting the present case.
It is clear from the Political Agent’s and Political
K Lil* •'*1 *****
Resident’s letter that, in point of fact, Hawar is treated as
part of the territory of the Sheikh of Bahrein, i.e. the
Sheikh and his father exercised active jurisdiction there
for more than 50 years and he has no reason to suppose that
the Sheikh of Qatar lays any claim to it.
In these circumstances, it seems clear that Colonel
Powle’s conclusion, which is supported hy the Government
of India, is right viz. that Hawar should he regarded as
belonging to the Sheikh of Bahrein and that the burden of
disproving his claim lies on the Sheikh of Qatar.
A decision on these lines may not he entirely
satisfactory to the Oil Companies concerned as there would

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Content

The file concerns negotiations with Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL) over oil concession rights in the Bahrain Unallotted Area (also referred to as the Additional Area), i.e. those parts of Bahrain territory not forming part of the concession awarded to the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) in 1925. The negotiations principally concerned Muharraq Island and an area around the other islands to the north of Bahrain, and the sea area to the east of Bahrain, including Fasht Dibal [Fasht ad Dībal] and the Hawar Islands.

The papers include: maps of Bahrain and proposed concession areas; draft PCL concession, 1936 (folios 361-374); minutes of meetings at the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. ; negotiations with BAPCO over a counter-offer for the Unallotted area; the attitude of Shaikh Sir Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifah [Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah], Ruler of Bahrain, to the negotiations, including correspondence from the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain, Charles Dalrymple Belgrave; discussions over the status of the Hawar Islands; Admiralty, Colonial Office, and Foreign Office papers concerning territorial waters, and submarine boring for oil (folios 221-225); Petroleum Department letter concerning the financial implications of the rival bids (folios 196-197); proposals to split the Additional Area between the two companies, including Belgrave's view that it would be of greater benefit to the Shaikh to have two companies working in Bahrain (folio 161); the role in the negotiations of Frank Holmes; the Ruler of Bahrain's wish to postpone discussion of the concession for a year on account of a dispute over the status of Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. , May 1937 (folios 124, 112); a suggestion by the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Bahrain that the Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. problem could be solved by allowing the shaikhs of Bahrain to hold Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. as their personal property (folio 102); draft PCL concession, 1938, and copy of the 1925 oil concession (folios 58-85); and suggestions of British Government support for the PCL bid (folios 9-15).

The Arabic language content of the papers consists of the bilingual Arabic and English text of the draft concession agreement of 1938, and correspondence (with English translation) from the Ruler of Bahrain.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (398 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 400; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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Coll 30/123 'Bahrain (Unallotted Zone) Oil Concession: Negotiations with Petroleum Concessions Ltd.' [‎243r] (485/801), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3852, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100070084977.0x000058> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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